ARMED police were called out to West Linton after a woman was spotted in the street with an air rifle.

Jacqueline Woods had earlier slashed car tyres, causing £1,000 damage, and thrown a rock through the window of The Old Bakehouse in the town’s Main Street, after being unable to book a table at the restaurant.

Woods, 47, of Tweed Drive, Livingston, admitted threatening and abusive behaviour at the premises on January 10 last year, and recklessly cutting the tyres of a vehicle in Main Street.

She also admitted recklessly breaking a window of The Old Bakehouse by throwing a rock, and having an air rifle without authority in Main Street.

Defence lawyer Iain Burke said his client suffered from mental health problems and became “suspicious and paranoid” in the small community where she was living at the time.

He explained: “She had reached a crisis point in January last year.” Mr Burke conceded Woods behaviour was “wholly unreasonable and frightening.

“Until her 40s she had no difficulty with the law and she believed, quite wrongly, that people were targeting her. She has now moved away from the area.” At Selkirk Sheriff Court Woods was sentenced to an 18-month Community Payback Order, with supervision, and ordered to pay £520 compensation for the damage she caused.

Sheriff Janyss Scott said: “It is clear that this was a very serious and frightening episode for the community.”